Asif Kapadia has apologized for a series of X-rated messages accused of being anti-Semitic. The posts have already led the Grierson Trust to cancel its sponsorship offer to the director of “Amy” and “Senna.”

“I am mortified by the hurt and offense caused by some of my retweets. I now understand that they will be seen by many as anti-Semitic, or even as justifying violence. That was not my intention,” Kapadia said in a statement, according to several media outlets. “Like many, I am passionate about the plight of the Palestinian and Lebanese people and the suffering they have endured over the years, but I am also passionate about all anti-racism and I condemn all forms of anti-Semitism. I unequivocally apologize for these ill-advised reposts which were published in haste and without any consideration. »

On Wednesday, Kapadia was named a patron of the Grierson Trust charity, which celebrates the best in documentary and factual cinema. He received this honor alongside Dorothy Byrne and Louis Theroux. But shortly after this announcement, the Trust canceled its offer after a series of messages from Kapadia came to light.

“When we made the decision to appoint Mr. Kapadia, the Board was not aware of these positions, some of which appear to no longer be available, and we are sorry that our due diligence was not thorough enough ” the Trust said in a statement. statement. “The Grierson Trust is deeply committed to promoting both freedom of expression, diversity and inclusion in the documentary industry. While we accept and support that everyone has a legitimate right to express their views on controversial issues, this cannot justify racist statements or behavior. As we have emphasized in the past and will continue to maintain, the Trust has a zero-tolerance approach to racism of any kind.

Although Kapadia has since deleted his X account, screenshots of the offensive messages in question were taken. In a message retweeted by the director, we could read: “Those who colonized the entire world are trying to convince us that resistance to colonialism is terrorism. » Another repost features an image from “Schindler’s List,” specifically Nazi Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes) shooting prisoners in a concentration camp. The caption reads: “Remember this scene from Schindler’s List? The same thing happens in real time. They are Nazis.

Variety was first to report this story.

More to come…